Aeroplane.



G. N. SPENCER..

AEBQPLANE.

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Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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G. N. SPENCER. ABBOPLANB.

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Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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AEBOPLANE.

APPLIOATIOB FILED MAILS). 1910. 1,023,534. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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GEORGE NELSON SPENCER, OF FOREST GROVE, OREGON.

AEROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application led 'March 9, 1910. Serial N o` 548,253.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Geenen N. SPENCER, of Forest Grove, in the county of Washington, State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Aeroplane, of which the ollowing is a specification.

y invention relates to air vessels which ascend and pass through space above the earth by the use of machinery, and not by use of balloons.

The object of this invention is to provide an aeroplane with improved lifting-screws to move it away from the earth and with swinging-screw ropellers at diiierent locations to assist in alancing the aeroplane.

Another object is to provide an aeroplane with improved lifting-screws tc move it away from the earth, and to provide swin ing-screw-propellers to join with the li ting-screws in moving the aeroplane away from the earth, said swinging-screw-propel- 1ers bein also for moving the aeroplane horizonte ly after it has reached an elevation, the lifting-screws being then thrown out of gear.

In the accompanying drawing formin a part of this specicaticn Figure 1 is a p an of the lower plane, also showing a plan of the lifting-screws and also swinging-screwpropellers; Fig. 2 an enlargled plan of an engine and connectin mac inery; Fig. 3 a broken left hand en of Fig. 2 in side elevation; Fig. 4 a section on line a-a in Fig. 1 and on line c-c in Fig. 6 enlarged and looking from the right, with two liftingscrew-shafts broken out on each side, showing the forward swinging-screwpropellers swung up to a horizontal position, as when acting jointly with the lifting-screws; Fig. 5-is a side elevation of the aero lane; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the aerop ane with a tent or cabin on the lower plane; Fig. 't' an enlarged broken, side elevation of a liftingscrew showing the end view of a blade; and Fig. 8 an enlarged broken plan of a liftingscrew.

I use numerals in referring to the details of the drawing.

The numeral 10 indicates the lower numeral 11 the upper.

13, Fig. 6, indicates the tent or cabin.

Revoluble upright liftin screwshafts 54 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, ig. 1, four on a si e, are well sustained by frame work and stays well outside the planes 10 and 11 so as to prevent the current of air caused by the plane,

blades 14 from striking the planes and thus diminishing the lifting effect. A hub is rigidly attached to the top end of each of the revoluble lifting-screw-shafts, and from these hubs 15, Fig. 1, four blades 14, radiate in four directions, said blades being pivoted at their inner edges at the rear, on pivot rods 18, Figs. 7 and 8, by means of straps 2O attached to the blades 14. Braces 16 are 1ocated at the backs of the blades 14, and are pivoted on the pivot rod 18 by means of loops 19 so that when the revoluble liftingscrew-shafts are set in motion and the blades 14 attain suiicient momentum the pressure of air a ainst the blades 14 will raise them to a pro able angle of 45 degrees, more or less. The blades may be limited to a given angle by using stops if desired, and they will hold that angle while they are in use, and the aeroplane is rising. When the lifting-screw-shafts are thrown out of gear and the blades 14 stop, said blades drop flat again. This is for the purpose of lessening the pressure of air against them while the aeroplane is being carried ahead horizontally through the air by the swinging-screwpro ellers.

ross stays are attached to blades 14, as 21 fastened to the upper end of cleat 22, and stay 23 fastened to the lower end of cleat 22, and both 21 and 23 fastened at their outer ends to the lower end of cleat 24 of the next blade forward, and so on around the blades. Stay 23 may be extended down the lifting-screw-shaft to a shoulder as in Fig. 7 by making the stay with an extension 99. For a clear view of the swinging-screw Propellers see Fig. 4. There are four like these, the other two being at the rear of Fig. 1. These swinging-screw -propellers are usually made with two radial blades 87, end to end, with hub 86 between.

The swinging-screw-propellers are hung to semi circular stirrups, 35, by shafts passing through hubs 86, and stirru s 35, and are attached to bevel gears 36 insi e the stirrups, which gears mesh with bevel gears 37 on the swinging-screw-propeller-shafts 28. The stirrups 35 are each provided with four bars pivoted to the shaft 28 where they cross it, and three of the bars extend beyond the shaft 28 and are ri idly attached to the tilting bar 38. The tiing bar is attached at the end to a pulley 39 loose on the horizontal power shaft. These swinging-screwpropellers are changeable from the horizontal position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and facing upward (where they have been placed in position to have a lifting effect conjointly with the lifting-screws). to the forward position in Fig. l, in whlch they face to travel horizontally through space. The propellers may be tilted to balance or level the aeroplane.

The arrangement of the shafts 2S with the stirrups 35 and connections is largely to strengthen the shafts 28 between then' bearings. These shafts 2S on which the swing ing-screw-propellers swing, have a pivot point at each end, and suitable box-bearings 29, 30. The outer end has an extra boxing 25, extending in on the shaft 28. Braces 31 run out from boxes 29 and curve around the outer end of blades S7 of the swingingscrew-propellers. Stays 33, 34, are attached to the braces 31, and these stays are attached to the upper and lower planes 10, 11, in Figs. 1 anc 6.

Hand crank shafts 77 are located in the front end of the aeroplane, Figs. 1 and 4, and are belt connected with the loose pulleys 39, by means of which the forward swingingscrew-propellers can be adjusted by the pilot who occupies that locality, by turning the hand shafts 77. The rear swinging-screw-Propellers are adjusted by the engineer who occupies the middle of the ship, by turning the hand shafts 78 at this point. The engine 40 and its connecting belts and counter shafts, is one of four groups which are employed centrally on the lower plane, one for each quarter as the groups of four cylinders 41, 42, 43 44, 1ndicate, and the engine in Fig. 2 is designed to be used in the position shown n the forward left quarter of Fig. 1. The shaft 45 of the engine in Fig. 2 passes through the speed-belts 46, 47, 48, 49, and the double ratchets 50 are slid with the speed-belts as desirable, by the handled bars 51, 52. Bars similar to 51, and 52 will be arranged for other engines. This syst-ein of ratchets and belts ives a variety of speeds at which the propellers may be run.

An elongated counter shaft 53 runs across the machine deck to a lifting-screw-shaft 54, Fig. 3, this shaft 54 being, in use, at the forward left hand quarter Fig. 1, and three other like counter shafts 53 run to three other lifting-screw-shafts 55, 5G, 57. The outer ends of all these counter shafts are to be gear connected with the lifting-screwshafts 54, 55, 56, 57, as shown in Fig. 2. As each of the four engines is to be connected with a counter shaft 53 by belts 46, 47, 4S, 49, it will appear how the power is distributed among the different quarters of the aeroplane.

The bevel gear on the lifting-screw-shaft 54 in Fig. 2 is adjustable up and down, and thrown out of mesh by the lever 81, fulcruined at S2. Fig. 3 shows this arrangeinent. The handled ends of like levers 81 for all engines used are to be brought to a central location for the engineers use.

The inner lifting-screw-shafts being power connected with the conntershafts 53, each of these lifting-screw shafts must be connected with the adjacent outer lifting screw-shafts in order that the motion of one should be transmitted. This is accomplished as follows. F ig. l, belt 79 connects shafts 54, and 58, belt SO connects shafts 56, and 60, belt 65connects shafts 57, and G1, and belt 63, connects shafts 55, and 59. The inotion imparted by the engines through the shafts 53, is carried to the swinging-screwpropellers by belts (S7, 68, 69, 70. The broken belt (i7 in Fig. 2 is the belt 67 in Figs. 1 and 4.

In Fig. 4 the water proof canopy 7l, the telit or cabin 72 and the ridge pole S4, are shown in section.

The construction of the front steering rudder 85, will be understood. The balancing rudders 74, 75, may be used when ascending or descending. In Fig. 5 the Inachine 1s ready to rise, and the balancing rudders are hanging vertically. But the use of these rudders will be understood. Special mention may be made of trusses, floor supports,`stays and braces, and below the lower plane 10 of studdings for legs as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, and G. By swinging the swingi1ig-screw-propellers into a position to work conjointly with the regular lifting-screws, a greater load can be raised. When up at the desired height the swingingsci'ewpropellcrs are swiuig forward, and the aeroplane starts forward. The liftingscrews are now thrown out of gear. When stopping the swinging screw propellers they are reversed to the opposite side of the shaft as in dotted position in Fig. 6.

The lifting-screws, the swinging-screwpropellers, and the engines may be varied 1n number according to the size and capacity of the aeroplane.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In an aeroplane, lifting-screws, consisting of hubs rigidly attached to the up er ends of revoluble power shafts, ra ial blades pivoted at the rear edge by pivot rods rigidly attached at one end to the hubs, and pivoted near the other end to the blades, braces at the backs of the blades, and the pivot rods pivoted thereto by means of lugs on the end of the braces, substantially as set forth.

2.l In an aeroplane, the combination of liftlng-screws consisting of hubs rigidly attached to the up er ends of revolublle power shafts, radial bades pivoted at the rear edge by pivot rods rigidly attached to the asf hub at one end, and pivoted near the other end to the blades, braces at the back edges of the blades, and the pivot rods pivoted thereto by means of lugs on the end of the braces, with swinging-screw gropellers for assisting the liftinwscrews an carrying the aeroplane forwar, consisting o radial blades attached to revoluble hubs which are hung to semiciroular stirrups, by an axle passmg through the hub, and stirrup, said axle carrying a bevel gear, a horizontal ower shaft provided with a Gear meshing with the rst named gear, a tilting bar attached at the end to a. pulley loose on the horizontal power shaft, said tilting bar rigidly attached to the stirrup by cross bars pivoted to the power shaft Where they cross, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE NELSON SPENCER. Witnesses:

E. W. HAINns, H. E. W'ITHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot Patents, Washington, D, G." 

